5 percent drop in 2017 offsets 2016’s minor increase

DES PLAINES, Ill., May 16, 2018 — The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) 2017 watercraft theft report shows a 5 percent decrease and resumes the downward trend in thefts that was broken by 2016’s slight increase. A total of 4,864 watercraft were reported stolen between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2017. The report is based on theft data contained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The top five states for thefts in descending order were:

State

Thefts

Recovery Rate

1

Florida

1,163

34%

2

California

488

54%

3

Texas

410

36%

4

North Carolina

158

35%

5

Washington

156

39%

The top five cities for thefts in descending order were:

City

Thefts

Recovery Rate

1

Miami

208

29%

2

Tampa, Fla.

81

25%

3

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

77

30%

4

Sacramento, Calif.

51

45%

5

Largo, Fla.

46

35%

The top five types of watercraft stolen in descending order were:

Watercraft Type*

Thefts

Recovery Rate

1

Personal Watercraft

1,180

27%

2

Runabout

618

43%

3

Utility

285

38%

4

Cruiser

185

56%

5

Sailboat

41

56%

The top five manufacturers for watercraft thefts in descending order were:

Manufactuer

Thefts

Recovery Rate

1

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA

620

24%

2

Bombardier Corp.**

425

37%

3

Kawasaki Motors Mfg.

150

25%

4

Bass Tracker Corp.

116

41%

5

Alumacraft Boat Co.

116

32%

Most thefts in 2017 occurred during the months of May, June, July, August and September with June recording the highest number with 628. December saw the fewest with 222.

* Described below are the 13 watercraft types as found in the NCIC code manual, one of which is “Jet Ski”—NCIC’s universal name for all personal watercraft without regard to manufacturer. Jet Ski is also the registered trademark for Kawasaki Motor Corporation’s line of personal watercraft.

**In 2003, Bombardier Corp. sold off its recreational products division. The Sea-Doo personal watercraft is now produced by Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc. Thus, the 425 thefts would include pre-2003 models.

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About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness. The NICB is supported by more than 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $461 billion in insurance premiums in 2017, or more than 81 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 95 percent ($218 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.